| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Camille by Alexandre Dumas: the poor man was not to say a single word. He cast a really
supplicating glance at Marguerite.
"Well, Prudence," she went on, "have you done what I asked you to
do?"
"Yes.
"All right. You will tell me about it later. We must talk over
it; don't go before I can speak with you."
"We are doubtless intruders," I said, "and now that we, or rather
I, have had a second introduction, to blot out the first, it is
time for Gaston and me to be going."
"Not in the least. I didn't mean that for you. I want you to
Camille |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Gobseck by Honore de Balzac: colleagues, like myself, have enjoyed all things, are sated with all
things, and have reached the point when power and money are loved for
their own sake.
" 'Here,' he said, indicating his bare, chilly room, 'here the most
high-mettled gallant, who chafes at a word and draws swords for a
syllable elsewhere will entreat with clasped hands. There is no city
merchant so proud, no woman so vain of her beauty, no soldier of so
bold a spirit, but that they entreat me here, one and all, with tears
of rage or anguish in their eyes. Here they kneel--the famous artist,
and the man of letters, whose name will go down to posterity. Here, in
short' (he lifted his hand to his forehead), 'all the inheritances and
Gobseck |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Philebus by Plato: the spirit of one of its ablest and most moderate supporters (Mill's
Utilitarianism):--'That which alone makes actions either right or desirable
is their utility, or tendency to promote the happiness of mankind, or, in
other words, to increase the sum of pleasure in the world. But all
pleasures are not the same: they differ in quality as well as in quantity,
and the pleasure which is superior in quality is incommensurable with the
inferior. Neither is the pleasure or happiness, which we seek, our own
pleasure, but that of others,--of our family, of our country, of mankind.
The desire of this, and even the sacrifice of our own interest to that of
other men, may become a passion to a rightly educated nature. The
Utilitarian finds a place in his system for this virtue and for every
|
The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg by Mark Twain: brokenly, "Lead us not into temptation. . . I think you made the
promise, Edward. Let it rest so. Let us keep away from that
ground. Now--that is all gone by; let us he happy again; it is no
time for clouds."
Edward found it something of an effort to comply, for his mind kept
wandering--trying to remember what the service was that he had done
Goodson.
The couple lay awake the most of the night, Mary happy and busy,
Edward busy, but not so happy. Mary was planning what she would do
with the money. Edward was trying to recall that service. At first
his conscience was sore on account of the lie he had told Mary--if
The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg |
